Gustav thieler



(No Model.)

7 G. THIELER'.

DESK.

No. 561,454. Patented June 2, 1896.

ANDREW BfiFANAM. PHOTO-LITNO.WA5HI NGTUN. D C

.of the desk-leaf.

lJNrTEn STATES PATENT QEETCE.

GUSTAV THIELER, OF INSTERBURG, GERMANY.

DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 561,454, dated June 2, 1896. Application filed September 3, 1895. Serial No. 561,337. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GUSTAV THIELER, a citizen of the Kingdom of Prussia, and a residentof Insterburg, in the Kingdom of Prussia and German Empire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Desks, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide a novel portable writing-desk with various appliances for holding books, copy, or reference-notes within convenient view of the writer upon a raised shelf, which may be folded up when desired, and also to provide a leaf-holder attachment to the shelf for holding open the book or the sheets or leaves of some of the parts below the writing-leaf and i also the adjustable position of the book-rack being shown in dot lines; Fig. 2, an end elevation of said desk unsupported; Fig. 3, a transverse vertical section in line a; x of Fig. 1. Fig. 4, a perspective elevation of the leafholder detached from the book-rack.

The desk proper comprises a smooth flat desk-leaf 1 of suitable material having triangular battens 2 secured to the under side thereof which rest upon the top of an ordinary :llat table 3, the rear end of the desk-leaf 1 being raised a few inches above the table by the vertical side of the triangular battens 2, thus providing a convenient andsuitably-iir clined writing-surface and also providing at the rear end of the desk a space beneath the leaf and between the said battens 2 to receive a drawer-receptacle 4, which slides in guidestrips 5, secured adjacent to the inner sides of the battens 3, as shown by dot lines in Figs. 1 and 2, the broken lines in Fig. 2 represent ing the position of the said receptacle 4 when half drawn out from beneath the desk-leaf.

A small sliding drawer 6 (shown at the righthand side of Figs. 1 and 2) provides a convenient inkstand-receptacle and is supported in guide-cleats 7, secured to the under side The upper and rear corners of the desk-leaf 1 support short posts 8, to the upper ends of which are secured the ends of a shelf 9, which latter is provided with a beveled rear side 10, to the middle portion of which is fastened a metal plate 11, turned up at a rearwardly-inclined angle 12 to receive at its ends the pivot-screws 13, to which are secured the lower ends of standard plates 14, which support at their free ends a book or leaf supporting strip 15, which is held thereby in a horizontal position either above the shelf 9 or which may be folded down alongside the said shelf in the following-described manner: The middle portion of the plate 11 is turned horizontally and rearwardly between the standard plates lite provide an abutmentstrip 16, which prevents the standards from being turned inwardly beyond vertical lines; and the upper or free ends of said standards are fitted with clamping-screws 17, which fit in the rounded and upwaidly-turned grooves or notches 18, formed in said strip 15, which, together with the abutment-strip 16, hold the standards and the strip 15 securely in their raised position to provide a rack for supporting a book, leaf, or other object to be copied or referred to. The notches 1.8 are extensions at the inner ends of longitudinal grooves or slots 19, which extend in opposite directions nearly to the ends of the strip 15 and provide ways to receive the clamping-screws 17, at the free ends of the standards '14, which allow the said screws to move freely therein when loosened to swing the said standards down to a horizontal position and carry with them the strip 15 until the latter is folded. close down against the back of said strip. The forward side of the strip 9 is cut out at the middle portion 20 of its length to receive a spring-plate of steel 21, and the remaining end portions 22 thereof have a gutter 23 to hold penholders, pencils, and other like articles used about a Writing-desk. The springplate 21 is fastened at the middle to the rearwardly and upwardly inclined face 24L of the strip 9 by means of a clamping-screw 25, and the free ends of said plate 21 are bowed to receive at its ends the pivot-pins 26 of spring presser-arms 27, which may either be raised, as shown at the right-hand end of said springplate in Fig. 1 and also in Figs. 2, 3, and 1, and which arms may be folded down in a horizontal position, as shown at the left-hand end of the said spring-plate in Fig. 1.

The free ends of the arms'27 have adj ustable screw-buttons 28, which allow the spring presser-arms to be conveniently lifted up from the leaves of the book. The rearwardlyopening drawer may be used for holding stationery, envelops, or other Writing material, and is not in the way.

The desk hereinbefore described is light, inexpensive, neat, and may be readily moved about or carried from place to place. The raised shelf will provide a clear space between it and the desk-leaf through which books, charts, or large sheets of paper may be projected without obstruction. The desk may thus be used either as a Writing-desk or as a drawing-table, and the supporting shelf or rack is useful for holding anything which may be used for reference either by the copyist, translator, or draftsman. It is useful also for children and larger scholars for the preparation of class work and may be readily packed and carried about ready to be placed upon any convenient stand or table when required for use.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A portable writing-desk comprising an inclined desk-leaf, a raised shelfstrip, a racksupporting plate, standards pivoted thereto and a supporting-strip having longitudinal slots to receive clamping-screws upon the ends of said standards to allow of the folding of said supporting-strip, substantially as described.

2. A portable Writing-desk comprising an inclined desk-leaf, a shelf-strip, a book-rack supported thereon, and a spring-plate secured at its middle portion to the said shelf and leafholding plates pivoted to the free ends of said spring-plate to fold thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV THIELER.

\Vitnesses:

CARL KNOPP, R. LUTTKUS. 

